The rooftop bar at night, with Nelson's Column to the left and the London Eye to the right.
The rooftop bar at night, with Nelson's Column to the left and the London Eye to the right.
The Trafalgar St James, London: 2 Spring Gardens, Trafalgar Square
Location: Smack bang in the middle of bustling Westminster, rubbing shoulders with Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
Getting there: A 70-minute Tube ride from Heathrow - the hotel is a one-minute walk from Charing Cross station. Very achievable evenwith a big suitcase.
Check-in experience: Warm, welcoming and most importantly quick. No fussing round, a credit card swipe and I'm on my way to my room.
The discreet entrance is down the side lane to the left - it's more noticeable at night.
First impressions: The entrance is elegantly understated (OK I may have walked right past it, in my defence the signs are more noticeable at night). There's a delightful deco feel and the walls ooze cool - with celebrity photographer Dave Hogan's black and white portraits of Amy Winehouse, Liz Hurley in that safety-pin dress and a dapper young Michael Caine.
What's so good about this place? Who needs the Tube when it's an 8-minute stroll (past NZ House) to Piccadilly Circus, or 15 minutes to the London Eye.
You can almost see eye to eye over breakfast with Nelson on his column.
But the hotel's piece de resistance is its magnificent rooftop bar, accessed via a private lift. The sights from the alfresco eatery are spectacular and provide a panoramic view of the area: look left and you can almost look Nelson on his column square in the eye, pan right and you can see the London Eye.
You can enjoy the views over breakfast and at night the venue turns into an upmarket cocktail bar.
What's in the neighbourhood? The Mall, Admiralty Arch, The National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery.
Room: Huge. A tablet computer controls all the mod cons, plenty of USB ports, Nespresso coffee machine.
Price: £312 (NZ$640) per night for a Queen room.
The bed: A generous Queen size, nice and firm. I spend the night together with a photo of a young and impossibly cool Mick Jagger.
A young and impossibly cool photo portrait of Mick Jagger guards the bed.
Bathroom: Super chic: walk-in shower, big bath and a shaving/make-up mirror bright enough to perform surgery under.
Toiletries: Generous range of Molton Brown products, which all travelled home with me.
Free wi-fi? Complimentary and swift, along with digital TV.
Noise: None - truly remarkable given the ridiculously busy roundabout circling Trafalgar Square is right outside your window. Blackout curtains are a godsend for the jetlagged traveller.
Food and drink: A buffet breakfast came with the room charge and was excellent, albeit upstaged by the rooftop view. At night the cocktail bar is a must for selfies - enough to make any influencer envious.
Exercise facilities: Indeed, but I got enough exercise with all the walking thank you.
